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As college costs continue to rise students and their parents should continue to search for ways to make it more affordable and cut their costs. USA Today put out a list of 5 things that your students can do to make it more affordable:

Budget for the tuition over the next four years – How much is tuition expected to increase year over year? Did you know that the average college tuition increased 12 percent over the past four years? Will yours do the same? Investigate whether your college will “freeze” this rate for all four years.

Read between the lines (and the numbers) – Don’t just look at the top line fees. There are a bevy of costs beyond tuition, room and board, and some colleges are finding new ways to reduce them. Take a look at costs of textbooks (does the school offer textbook-cost waivers or other assistance programs?), meal plans (do you need to pay for a dining-hall pass, or is there a kitchen in the dorm you can cook in?) and other day-to-day necessities.

What happens to your tuition if you take four years or longer to finish? – National studies show fewer than 50 percent of students attending a four-year college or university actually graduate within four years. Does your school have a contingency plan if you are within that group?

Don’t automatically rule out private institutions – Depending on the scholarships, work-study programs, guarantees, etc., for which a student qualifies, you might be surprised at how well private-school tuition compares to a state school. Your college, for instance, might offer full-time, in-state student rates that match the state university’s tuition.

Is it too late to try elsewhere? – If you’ve just learned about a program that’s a perfect fit it may not be too late to apply. Many colleges offer rolling admissions, so rather than ”settling,” look for a school that meets all your goals — educational, career, and financial. Then, you’ll be on your way to the next important chapter of your life, knowing that you’ve done all you can to make your college investment as affordable as possible.